steel front diff

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:48 pm

I would buy one today if it was available as such........After just blowing another front diff (2nd one so far), I gotta do something (this or SFA) cause I like using my Jeep for what it supposedly was designed for, and this crap is getting old quick!!!!!!!! Or I'm just gonna gut the whole front end and make my CRD a 2wd. Cause what's the point of having a 4low t-case if you can't even use it for fear of breaking?????? I for one wouldn't mind sending the fusible link down to the CV shafts, cause it's alot cheaper/easier/less time consuming to replace one of those than a whole diff housing full of broken parts!!!!!! And having a CRD makes this situation worse, cause of the added weight on the front end, and the extra power/torque the 2.8 diesel puts out at low crawling speeds/rpm's.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 21, 2010 8:56 pm

2mopar_diesels wrote:

I would buy one today if it was available as such........After just blowing another front diff (2nd one so far), I gotta do something (this or SFA) cause I like using my Jeep for what it supposedly was designed for, and this crap is getting old quick!!!!!!!! Or I'm just gonna gut the whole front end and make my CRD a 2wd. Cause what's the point of having a 4low t-case if you can't even use it for fear of breaking?????? I for one wouldn't mind sending the fusible link down to the CV shafts, cause it's alot cheaper/easier/less time consuming to replace one of those than a whole diff housing full of broken parts!!!!!! And having a CRD makes this situation worse, cause of the added weight on the front end, and the extra power/torque the 2.8 diesel puts out at low crawling speeds/rpm's.

Ever think your CV's are the cause of the binding that is blowing the front diffs?

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:45 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

2mopar_diesels wrote:

I would buy one today if it was available as such........After just blowing another front diff (2nd one so far), I gotta do something (this or SFA) cause I like using my Jeep for what it supposedly was designed for, and this crap is getting old quick!!!!!!!! Or I'm just gonna gut the whole front end and make my CRD a 2wd. Cause what's the point of having a 4low t-case if you can't even use it for fear of breaking?????? I for one wouldn't mind sending the fusible link down to the CV shafts, cause it's alot cheaper/easier/less time consuming to replace one of those than a whole diff housing full of broken parts!!!!!! And having a CRD makes this situation worse, cause of the added weight on the front end, and the extra power/torque the 2.8 diesel puts out at low crawling speeds/rpm's.

Ever think your CV's are the cause of the binding that is blowing the front diffs?

I don't know.........good point!!! I mean, of course most who have had this problem take theirs offroad, which most of the time means they are lifted also with steeper CV angles. So, it would be hard to get an accurate number of stock to lifted busted diffs.

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:43 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

2mopar_diesels wrote:

I would buy one today if it was available as such........After just blowing another front diff (2nd one so far), I gotta do something (this or SFA) cause I like using my Jeep for what it supposedly was designed for, and this crap is getting old quick!!!!!!!! Or I'm just gonna gut the whole front end and make my CRD a 2wd. Cause what's the point of having a 4low t-case if you can't even use it for fear of breaking?????? I for one wouldn't mind sending the fusible link down to the CV shafts, cause it's alot cheaper/easier/less time consuming to replace one of those than a whole diff housing full of broken parts!!!!!! And having a CRD makes this situation worse, cause of the added weight on the front end, and the extra power/torque the 2.8 diesel puts out at low crawling speeds/rpm's.

Ever think your CV's are the cause of the binding that is blowing the front diffs?

I for one think the problem is the block of aluminum suspended in mid air by 4 rubber mounted points with 3 steel "CV" shafts comming out of it. One shaft goes one way, Another goes another goes another way and the last one tries to role the entire thing over when one of the first 2 jams. I blame the housing and the mounts. :2cents:

Thats all I got.

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:57 am

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

tjkj2002 wrote:

2mopar_diesels wrote:

I would buy one today if it was available as such........After just blowing another front diff (2nd one so far), I gotta do something (this or SFA) cause I like using my Jeep for what it supposedly was designed for, and this crap is getting old quick!!!!!!!! Or I'm just gonna gut the whole front end and make my CRD a 2wd. Cause what's the point of having a 4low t-case if you can't even use it for fear of breaking?????? I for one wouldn't mind sending the fusible link down to the CV shafts, cause it's alot cheaper/easier/less time consuming to replace one of those than a whole diff housing full of broken parts!!!!!! And having a CRD makes this situation worse, cause of the added weight on the front end, and the extra power/torque the 2.8 diesel puts out at low crawling speeds/rpm's.

Ever think your CV's are the cause of the binding that is blowing the front diffs?

I for one think the problem is the block of aluminum suspended in mid air by 4 rubber mounted points with 3 steel "CV" shafts comming out of it. One shaft goes one way, Another goes another goes another way and the last one tries to role the entire thing over when one of the first 2 jams. I blame the housing and the mounts. :2cents:

Thats all I got.

Yeh, it's gotta be something exclusive to the KJ's......cause I've wheeled with some Zuki Sidekicks, Xterras, and Yota's before and they seem to beat the ever living sh*t out of their rigs and don't have near the problems we do. So, the aluminum case alone is not the answer and reason to the breakage. Only other 4x4 I can think of with a similar track record like this, is the '89-'94 s10's when they came out with the 4.3 v6 and were still running the front 2piece clamshell diffs designed for the weak @ss 2.8's.

Sport · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:34 am

With this option you can run those 32" tires with confidence and the gear options will give you the power back. Heck you could run a 33" with some creative cutting. CVs are CVs and have potential to fail but it isn't like a SA is bullet proof.

I would be in for the steel housing and then I would run a 32x11.5x15 tire with either 4.10 or 4.56 gears...sweet.

liquidxit2 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:16 am

I would go this route if I ever had to replace my d30a.

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:12 pm

Talked with Marlin at JBA and looks like I got nominated to be his CRD test mule!!!! This option is not gonna be cheap for me, but at least a better option than going back to a flawed OEM design that would probably just break again.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 8:57 pm

Still cheaper then SFA...

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:54 pm

Diggerfreek wrote:

Still cheaper then SFA...

Also true, and the ability to run any diff made for the regular D30........believe I'm gonna go with a Eaton E-Locker on this one and go ahead and regear to 4.11's while I'm at it.

dgeist · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:17 pm

2mopar_diesels wrote:

Talked with Marlin at JBA and looks like I got nominated to be his CRD test mule!!!! This option is not gonna be cheap for me, but at least a better option than going back to a flawed OEM design that would probably just break again.

Sweet. Keep us posted with lots of pics. I'm almost scared to take the CRD out for fear of breaking something that can't be replaced for months, but with a valid option that doesn't remove any of the "roadability" from that jeep.... :rockon:

Dan

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 6:03 pm

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

Ever think your CV's are the cause of the binding that is blowing the front diffs?

I for one think the problem is the block of aluminum suspended in mid air by 4 rubber mounted points with 3 steel "CV" shafts comming out of it. One shaft goes one way, Another goes another goes another way and the last one tries to role the entire thing over when one of the first 2 jams. I blame the housing and the mounts. :2cents:

Thats all I got.

I certianly believe after taking a real good look with the dealer mechanic today, that you sir are correct in this assumption!!! The way Jeep designed these mounts allows too much deflection and flex in the system that creates alot of uneven and severe binding both inside the case and in scenarios like mine the axle housing getting pushed up from a dented skid plate causeing the CV's to bind and pop. Even the mechanic scratched his head at why/how they designed it like this. Even when I get the replacement steel housing, I'm investing in a HD diff skid, and look into poly replacement bushings to reduce the flexing. Cause if you take your front skid off and look at it, with a steel housing I believe you would transfer the breaking point from the weak center section to the long-side axle tube where it enters the diff housing.

Take a look below, and you'll see what I'm talking about. I think the only reason you don't see breakage in this point is cause of the weak center section. But with the design and felx, there has to be alot of stress in this area. And now I'm really wondering if maybe you can weld and hard mount the diff and it's related bushing mounts to the cross-member without any consequences???

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 6:43 pm

Maybe replace the mounts with POLY? That one is more of a question.

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:39 pm

stumpjumper_09 wrote:

Maybe replace the mounts with POLY? That one is more of a question.

Yeh, if you read closely again......I'm planning on looking into that!!! Doubt I have any luck though.

stumpjumper_09 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:11 pm

That was kinda thinking out finger... Thinking about doing it to mine.

Quicksilversurf917 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 10:47 pm

I just went onto the jeepin by al web sit and on their front page its advertising the steel housing and whatnot...I saw that he said you will be able to get a bigger lift...how is that possible when were still running CV's?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:26 pm

It's a cradle drop on the big boys.

durangotang · **Posted:** Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:09 am

JL Rockies wrote:

It's a cradle drop on the big boys.

Bingo...

Either a cradle drop or longer a-arms/longer CV's... either way it's $$$$$.....

Combine the steel diff and one of the above... you're back in SFA $ range

No cheap way to go beyond what we all have done, unfortunately. :goink:

2mopar_diesels · **Posted:** Wed Mar 24, 2010 2:05 am

durangotang wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

It's a cradle drop on the big boys.

Bingo...

Either a cradle drop or longer a-arms/longer CV's... either way it's $$$$$.....

Combine the steel diff and one of the above... you're back in SFA $ range

No cheap way to go beyond what we all have done, unfortunately. :goink:

Which is exactly why I'm still getting quotes from a shop on just going ahead and squeezing a SFA under the CRD. To upgrade to what this diff can allow and benefit from, say a 4-4.5" lift with new coils,struts, upper arms, shaved CV's, front E-Locker and f&r 4.11's including this diff case is gonna run $3800+labor costs. Of course, to stay with what I've already got and just have it as a piece of mind and insurance is considerably less!!!!!

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Wed Mar 24, 2010 2:10 am

I thought Troy said you need either 6 or 8 inches of lift if you go with a SFA because of all of the parts needed...

steel front diff

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